Tell Us About What Brought You Here

• What is the immediate reason you're evaluating a new or updated production test system right now? Options: New product launch, Aging/unsupported test station, Quality escape / customer return, Throughput shortfall, Fixture failures, Other
• What product(s) will be the focus of this engagement (part numbers or family names)?
• What is your target go-live or production-ready date for the test station? Options: Within 4 weeks, 4–8 weeks, 8–12 weeks, 12–16 weeks, Flexible / no firm date
• Who on your team will own the technical evaluation and who will own the commercial decision? (Names/titles)
• Which of these best describes your manufacturing environment? Options: Low-mix high-volume, High-mix low-volume, Moderate mix/moderate volume, Pilot/early production only, Contract manufacturing site

Are You Confident or Just Hopeful?

• If your current test process continues unchanged, what are the realistic consequences six months from now? Options: More escapes/returns, Slower ramp for new products, Rising maintenance costs, Longer changeovers, No major change expected, Other
• How often have defects made it past your current test station to customers in the past 12 months? Options: None, 1–2 incidents, 3–5 incidents, More than 5
• Tell us about the most painful incident—what failed to be detected, what was the impact, and how long did it take to trace root cause?
• When test coverage gaps show up, how do you usually learn about them (customer report, field returns, in-house failure analysis, other)? Options: Customer report, Field returns, Incoming quality inspections, Random audits, Other
• How does it feel within the team when a quality escape happens—who gets pulled in and what emotions or pressures follow?

What If You Could Detect More Without Slowing The Line?

• Which signals are most important when judging whether a measurement is valuable: defect detection rate, false-fail rate, cycle-time per unit, ease of fixturing, or cost? Options: Defect detection rate, False-fail rate, Cycle-time per unit, Ease of fixturing, Cost of measurement, Other
• Which measurements does your spec require today? List specifics (e.g., DC voltage rails, power consumption, RF TX level at X MHz, JTAG boundary scan, sensor calibration).
• What detection target do you aim for on critical defects (for example: detect >95% of solder opens, detect >99% of power rail shorts)?
• What is an acceptable false-fail rate for the line to avoid excessive rework? Options: <0.1%, 0.1–0.5%, 0.5–1%, >1%, Don't know / need guidance
• Are there tradeoffs you are already willing to make between a slower cycle time and higher coverage? Give an example of a decision you've made like this.

Where Does the Line Actually Slow Down?

• What is your current target cycle time per unit at the test station (seconds or minutes)?
• Which parts of your current test flow are the biggest throughput bottlenecks? Options: Fixturing / mechanical load/unload, Instrument measurement latency, Device boot/timeouts, Manual inspection steps, Data handling and logging, Other
• How long does product changeover take today (time between last good unit of variant A and first good unit of variant B)? Options: <5 minutes, 5–15 minutes, 15–60 minutes, >60 minutes, Not applicable (single product)
• What is the line cadence (units per shift / shifts per day) and how much headroom do you need from a new test station?
• Have you measured test station uptime and MTTR (mean time to repair) recently? If so, what are the numbers and the typical causes of downtime?

Are Your Fixtures Helping or Hurting You?

• How often do fixtures fail or require adjustment in a typical production week? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Unknown
• What failure modes do you see most often (e.g., spring-pin wear, connector misalignment, probe breakage, inconsistent contact pressure)? Options: Spring-pin wear, Connector misalignment, Probe breakage, Contamination/soiling, Fixture mechanical wear, Other
• Describe any mechanical constraints we should know (eg, awkward connectors, fragile test points, tight enclosure access, odd orientation).
• How many different fixture variants do you manage today and how often do new ones get created? Options: 1–2, 3–5, 6–10, >10, Varies widely / unknown
• What is your preferred approach to spare parts, repair vs. replace, and who handles fixture maintenance day-to-day?

If a 500‑unit Pilot Had to Tell the Truth, What Would It Say?

• What would success look like for the 500‑unit pilot—list the specific, measurable outcomes that would make you sign off?
• Which pilot metrics will be weighted most heavily when deciding to scale to production: detection rate, false-fail rate, cycle time, throughput, MTTR, other? Options: Detection rate, False-fail rate, Cycle time, Throughput, MTTR, Other
• What are your minimum acceptable thresholds for those metrics (give numeric targets where possible)?
• Who will sign the pilot acceptance? Please specify job titles and the criteria each cares about.
• If the pilot misses one or two metrics but is strong in others, how do you want to evaluate remediation vs. failure? Options: Allow remediation plan and re-test, Require full pass of all metrics, Escalate to cross-functional review, Other

Who Do We Need to Bring Into the Room to Make This Move?

• Which stakeholders must be aligned before we can start a pilot (select all that apply)? Options: Test engineering, Quality, Production/line owner, Procurement, IT/OT, Supply chain, PLM/Design
• How does procurement prefer to structure commercial terms—PO-based, milestone payments, pilot-to-production conversion terms, or other? Options: PO with milestone payments, Pilot contract then PO on scale, Subscription/managed service, Other
• Are there compliance, security, or IT rules (network air-gapping, data retention, software certification) that would affect integration? Options: Yes — strict controls, Yes — moderate controls, No special controls, Unsure / need to consult IT
• What approvals or budget windows could block a decision (quarterly budget cycles, capital approvals, contract reviews)?
• Who is the escalation owner if pilot issues threaten the launch date? (Name/title and preferred contact method)

What Could Blow This Up After Purchase?

• What are your top three concerns about implementing a new platform after contract signature?
• How stable are your product specs right now—are test requirements still changing, frozen for production, or somewhere in between? Options: Frozen for production, Minor changes expected, Major changes likely, Unclear
• Who will own test program maintenance after go‑live and how much internal resource can they realistically dedicate per month?
• What level of software support and update cadence do you expect from a vendor (SLA hours, remote fixes, on‑site visits)? Options: 8x5 remote support, 24/7 remote with SLAs, On-site support option, Only remote updates, Unsure / need guidance
• Have you budgeted for ongoing calibration, spare fixturing, and program updates? If so, how is that tracked (CAPEX/OPEX)? Options: Budgeted as CAPEX, Budgeted as OPEX, Not budgeted yet, Unsure

What Do You Need From Us to Say Yes?

• What evidence would most convince you that our platform can meet your needs (instrument accuracy reports, fixture samples, a successful 500‑unit pilot, reference site visit)? Options: Instrument accuracy reports, Fixture sample demonstration, Successful 500-unit pilot, Reference site visit, Technical deep-dive session
• What data or artifacts can you provide now to accelerate scoping (test spec, CAD for fixturing, BOM, golden unit, failing units, current test logs)? Options: Test spec, CAD for fixturing, BOM, Golden unit, Failure logs, Other
• What is a realistic start date for a discovery workshop in your calendar? Options: Within 1 week, 1–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, More than 4 weeks
• Who should be included in that workshop invite (names and roles)?
• Is there anything else we haven’t asked that would change how you evaluate our solution?

Getting Acquainted: Your Current Test Landscape

• How many active production test stations do you have today? Options: 1, 2–3, 4–10, 11–25, 26+
• Which product lines or assemblies are routed through those stations? (list product names/variants and approximate volume per week)
• Who owns the day-to-day operation and maintenance of each station? Options: Test Engineering, Production Operations, Maintenance/Facilities, Quality, Third‑party/Contractor, Shared across teams, Other
• Where are the stations physically located and are there any environmental constraints we should know (lab, production floor, multiple sites, temperature, ESD, cleanroom)?
• How long has each station been in continuous service (if multiple, select all that apply)? Options: <1 year, 1–3 years, 3–7 years, 7–10 years, 10+ years

Are You Comfortably Compromising on Support?

• How often do you tolerate unsupported or legacy test software instead of treating it as an urgent risk? Options: We accept it regularly, Occasionally tolerate it, Rarely tolerate it, Never
• Which parts of your test stack are vendor-supported versus custom or end-of-life (check all that apply)? Options: Operating system (Windows/Linux), Test executive/application, Instrument drivers, Switching firmware, Custom scripts/utilities, None of the above / all unsupported
• When was the last vendor patch, firmware update, or security update applied to the test stack? Options: Within 3 months, 3–12 months, 1–2 years, 2–5 years, No updates in 5+ years, Not sure
• If software fails mid-shift today, who responds and what is the typical time-to-recover (describe the process and contacts)?
• How does running unsupported software affect your confidence in meeting delivery and quality commitments? Options: Very concerned, Somewhat concerned, Neutral, Not concerned

What’s Really Breaking the Flow?

• If you had to name the single recurring hardware failure that costs you the most unplanned downtime, what is it?
• Which fixture failure modes do you track or observe most often? Options: Connector wear/misalignment, Pogo-pin fatigue, Mechanical latching failure, Sensor drift in fixtures, Cable fraying, Electrical shorts/opens, Other
• How frequently do these failures occur per station on average? Options: Multiple times per day, Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely
• What is the average mean time to repair (MTTR) for fixture or hardware issues and who performs those repairs?
• Do you carry spare fixtures and components, and how many changeovers can you support before production must pause? Options: Extensive (spares for all stations), Moderate (spares for critical items), Minimal (few spares), None

If Throughput Slowed, What Breaks First?

• Which single throughput bottleneck would force you to delay shipments or stop the line?
• What is your target units-per-hour (UPH) / takt time for the lines using these test stations? Options: <20 UPH, 20–50 UPH, 50–100 UPH, 100–300 UPH, 300+ UPH
• What is the average cycle time per unit at the test station today (please provide seconds or minutes)?
• How long does a product changeover take between variants and who executes it? Options: <5 minutes, 5–15 minutes, 15–60 minutes, 60+ minutes, Not measured
• Which operator actions introduce the most variability in cycle time? Options: Fixture load/unload, Alignment/fixturing, Software interactions, Manual inspections, Data entry, Other

Which Defects Keep Sneaking Past You?

• Think of defect escapes in the last 18 months — which ones surprised you the most and why?
• Which measurement types do you currently NOT have automated but suspect would catch those escapes? Options: Functional power-up, In-circuit test (ICT), Boundary-scan / JTAG, RF performance, Analog precision measurements, Firmware validation, Environmental/stress tests
• What is your current first-pass yield (FPY) and overall rework rate? Options: >99%, 97–99%, 95–97%, 90–95%, <90%, Unknown
• How often do false-fails occur, and what percentage of failed units are later cleared after rework? Options: <1%, 1–3%, 3–5%, 5–10%, >10%, Unknown
• Describe a recent defect escape root cause and specifically where current tests failed to detect it.

How Much of Testing Is Built on Manual Trust?

• How often do operators perform manual tests or visual inspections to compensate for gaps in automated coverage? Options: Always, Often, Sometimes, Rarely, Never
• Which manual steps are most frequent on the line (select all that apply)? Options: Probe adjustments / alignment, Visual weld or component inspection, Firmware flashing / checks, Calibration checks, Manual measurements with handheld tools, Paper-based checks / sign-offs, Other
• How is test data captured, stored, and reviewed today? Options: Paper / handwritten logs, Local PC files, Shared network drive, MES integration, Cloud / data portal, Not captured
• On an average shift, what percent of operator time is spent troubleshooting vs executing nominal tests? Options: <10%, 10–25%, 25–50%, 50–75%, >75%
• What concerns you most about relying on manual workarounds as volumes increase?

If We Designed a 500‑Unit Pilot Together, What Would Win Your Trust?

• What single measurable outcome from a 500‑unit pilot would make you confident enough to scale to production?
• Which pilot acceptance criteria are highest priority for you? Options: Improved defect detection rate, Low false‑fail rate, Meet cycle time / throughput target, Fast fixture changeover, Software stability & recoverability, High data quality / traceability
• What maximum false‑fail rate would you accept for the pilot to be considered production‑viable? Options: <0.1%, <0.5%, <1%, 1–3%, 3–5%, >5%
• Who needs to sign off on pilot success (roles and names if available), and what evidence will they require?
• What timeline constraints, launch dates, or milestones must the pilot meet to avoid impacting product delivery?

Getting Oriented: A Quick Snapshot

• Which of these best describes why you're exploring a new production test system right now? Options: New product launch, Aging/unsupported test system, Fixture failures / high maintenance, Quality escape / customer complaint, Improve throughput / changeover speed, Other
• Target go‑live window for a production‑ready station (how firm is the 90‑day expectation)? Options: Within 90 days (firm), 90–120 days (flexible), 120+ days (planning), ASAP / emergency
• Who will be the primary decision owner(s) and approvers on your side? Please list roles (e.g., Test Engineering Manager, Quality Director).
• Which stakeholders must sign off on pilot acceptance? Options: Test Engineering, Quality, Production/Line Ops, Procurement, Supply Chain, Operations/Plant Manager, Other
• What specific metrics or signals will each stakeholder use to decide if a pilot passes (select all that apply)? Options: Defect detection rate / escapes, False‑fail / wasted rework rate, Cycle time / throughput, Uptime / MTBF, Cost per tested unit, Ease of changeover, Other
• Briefly describe the product family and the variants we’d need to support for pilot and production (mechanical differences, connectors, test points).

Are You Still Betting on Hope Over Data?

• If your current test system missed a critical defect next week, who would bear the cost — and are you prepared to explain why it happened? Options: Customer / end user, Field service / returns, Brand / sales, Quality team, Production / line, Unknown
• Describe any recent quality escapes or close calls that made you question your test coverage—what happened and what was the immediate impact?
• Which components of your existing test stack are unsupported or fragile today? Options: Test executive software / OS unsupported, Instrument firmware outdated, Custom scripts without documentation, Fixtures are failing/worn, No spare parts or backups, Other
• When fixtures fail or tests drift, how often does that generate rework, scrap, or production stops? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, Rarely, Never / unsure
• Do you have measured (or estimated) false‑fail and escape rates for the line we’re discussing? If so, please share numbers or ranges.

What's Really Slowing Your Line (and Your Nights)?

• Which single testing problem today costs you the most—time, scrap, or reputation—and why does it matter to you personally and to the business?
• How much cycle time per unit is currently allocated for test on the target line? Options: < 30 seconds, 30–60 seconds, 1–2 minutes, 2–5 minutes, > 5 minutes, Unknown
• When you add measurements to catch more defects, how does throughput typically change in your environment? Options: Negligible impact, Small impact (~<10%), Moderate impact (10–30%), Significant slowdown (>30%), Unknown / varies by test
• How long does a variant changeover actually take today, and which parts are the slow, manual steps? Options: < 5 minutes, 5–30 minutes, 30–120 minutes, > 2 hours, No defined changeover / ad‑hoc
• What recurring root causes are behind your false‑fails (e.g., connector seating, fixture indexing, flaky instrument, environmental drift)? Please give examples.
• What is the approximate direct cost when a unit is falsely failed (rework labor, scrapped parts, test station downtime)? Options: < $1 / unit, $1–$10, $10–$50, > $50, Variable / unknown

What Would It Take to Sleep Better at Night?

• If one change guaranteed you would not ship a customer‑facing defect for the next launch, what would that change do and why is it the priority?
• List the top three measurements or checks that, if reliably automated and validated, would most increase your confidence in outgoing units.
• What are your realistic throughput targets for the production line we'll integrate with (units/hour or units/minute)? Options: < 100 / hour, 100–500 / hour, 500–2,000 / hour, > 2,000 / hour, Other / custom
• What maximum per‑unit test time increase would you tolerate during pilot to reach your defect coverage goals? Options: No increase, +10%, +25%, +50%, > +50%
• What false‑fail rate would be acceptable during pilot versus production (give ranges or thresholds)? Options: < 0.1%, 0.1%–0.5%, 0.5%–1%, 1%–3%, > 3% / unacceptable
• Beyond metrics, what tangible evidence will make stakeholders comfortable to move from pilot to production (reports, per‑unit traces, operator sign‑offs, MTBF data)?

Where Are You Willing to Compromise?

• Would you accept a trade‑off that reduces throughput to avoid a single customer escape — and how far would you realistically go? Options: Accept short pilot slowdown, Accept permanent small slowdown (<10%), Accept moderate slowdown (10–30%), Not acceptable, Unsure
• Which of the following are top priorities for the test station? (select all that apply) Options: Highest defect detection, Lowest cycle time, Low maintenance / easy support, Fast product changeover, Low initial CAPEX, Modularity / high‑mix support, Ease of software updates
• How many hours per month can your team realistically dedicate to test program maintenance and fixture upkeep? Options: < 10 hours, 10–40 hours, 40–120 hours, > 120 hours, Not defined / variable
• Do you have internal fixture design and mechanical resources or do you prefer vendor‑designed fixtures? Options: In‑house fixture design, Vendor designs preferred, Hybrid (in‑house + vendor), No resources / need vendor turnkey
• What lead time for fixture delivery and validation would you consider acceptable before starting a 500‑unit pilot? Options: < 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 4–8 weeks, > 8 weeks
• If we proposed a switching architecture or minor floor layout changes to meet your throughput/coverage goals, how would you evaluate that trade?

Who’s in the Room When Things Go Sideways?

• If a pilot missed acceptance criteria, who on your team is authorized to stop production or demand corrective actions immediately? Options: Plant Manager, Quality Manager, Test Engineering Manager, Operations / Line Owner, Procurement, Other
• Who will be the day‑to‑day owners during pilot for test execution, fixture maintenance, and data collection? Options: Test Engineering, Production / Line Techs, Quality, Third‑party / CM, Vendor support team, Other
• List any internal approvals, compliance checks, or safety/IT requirements that could block commissioning (e.g., network segmentation, safety sign‑off, cleanroom certification).
• Do you have documented changeover procedures or standard work for tests? If yes, how mature are they? Options: Fully documented and used, Partially documented, Ad‑hoc / informal, None
• What tooling, environment, or calibration constraints should we plan for (ESD, calibration windows, vibration, temperature control, instrument custody)?
• Which data streams must be captured during pilot for acceptance and root cause analysis? Options: Per‑unit logs / pass/fail, Instrument readings / snapshots, Waveforms / traces, Environmental sensors, Operator notes / comments, Other

Let’s Map the Pilot Road — Will You Join Us?

• What would make you say 'no' to a 500‑unit pilot if everything else looked reasonable (deal‑breakers)?
• Where should the 500‑unit pilot run? Options: In‑line on production, Off‑line lab / staging area, Contract manufacturer site, Supplier site, Other
• What date windows are off‑limits for running a pilot (product launches, seasonal peaks, customer commitments)?
• Who needs to be physically or virtually present during pilot runs for acceptance and troubleshooting? Options: Test Engineering, Quality, Production Supervisor, Process Engineer, Vendor representative, Other
• Which evidence formats will satisfy pilot acceptance (select all that apply)? Options: Statistical acceptance report, Per‑unit trace logs, First‑pass yield graphs, Operator sign‑offs / checklists, Corrective action closure records, Other
• If early pilot results show detection below expectations, how would you prefer we handle corrective actions and timeframes? Options: Immediate stop and fix, Continue while implementing mitigations, Adjust acceptance criteria with stakeholder consent, Escalate to senior management, Other
• What support or assurances would make your team comfortable committing the necessary people/time to a pilot within an 8–16 week delivery window?

Getting Oriented: Who You Are and What’s on the Line

• Tell us the product you’re launching or protecting and the target go-live date for the production test station.
• What is your role in this project and which team will own the test station day-to-day? Options: Test Engineering Manager, Test Engineer, Quality Manager, Production Manager, Procurement/Purchasing, Other
• What triggered this project? (pick the primary reason) Options: New product launch, Aging/unsupported test system, Fixture failures, Quality escape/customer return, Throughput shortfall, Other
• How urgent is this need on a scale of timelines — when does the station truly need to be on the floor? Options: < 30 days, 30–60 days, 60–90 days, 90–120 days, > 120 days
• Which stakeholders must sign off for the pilot to proceed and who will be the ultimate budget owner? Options: Test Engineering, Quality, Production, Procurement, Engineering (Design), Operations Leadership, Other

Are You Comfortable With 'Good Enough'—Really?

• How many defective units reaching customers would you tolerate before this becomes a crisis? Options: Zero, 1–5 per lot, Depends on severity, Acceptable threshold set by quality, Unsure
• Tell the story of the last quality escape or test miss—what went wrong and how did it feel internally?
• How often do you discover root causes in the test system versus design or materials issues? Options: Mostly test system, Mostly design/materials, Mixed, Rarely investigated deeply, Unsure
• If defects are leaking to customers, what are the business consequences that worry you most (rank the top 3)? Options: Warranty cost, Customer dissatisfaction/returns, Regulatory impact, Production downtime, Brand reputation, Other
• When you think about risk, what keeps you awake at night about the current test coverage or process?

Where the Current Test System Actually Breaks Down

• What’s one capability your current test system promised but consistently fails to deliver?
• Which of the following failure modes do you see most often in your stations? Options: Fixture mechanical jams, Intermittent connections, Instrument drift, Software crashes/unpatchable, Switching failures, Other
• How much of your existing test software/platform is formally supported (vendor updates, security, bug fixes)? Options: Fully supported, Partially supported, Unsupported/legacy, Unknown
• Describe the typical time and steps required when a fixture fails or a variant change is needed.
• What recurring maintenance or floor issues create the biggest hidden cost (labor, spare parts, rework)?

If We Judge This Project a Win, What Will the Dashboards Show?

• List the top three quantitative success metrics we should measure during pilot and production (e.g., false-fail rate, throughput, coverage). Options: False-fail rate (%), Defect detection rate (%), Units per hour / cycle time, First-pass yield (%), Test cost per unit, Other
• What is your target cycle time per unit or throughput per shift we must meet to avoid line impact? Options: < 15s, 15–30s, 30–60s, 1–3 minutes, > 3 minutes, Not set / depends on configuration
• What maximum false-fail rate would you accept from the pilot before it’s considered a failure? Options: 0–0.5%, 0.5–1%, 1–2%, 2–5%, >5%, Not sure
• Which types of defects are highest priority to catch in this program (electrical, firmware, mechanical, connectors, firmware configuration)? Options: Electrical, Firmware, Mechanical/assembly, Connector/IO issues, Calibration/precision, Other
• Beyond numbers, what subjective signals (operator confidence, reduced escalations) would convince leadership this is working?

What’s Getting in the Way — The Constraints Nobody Volunteers

• Which constraint, if removed, would speed delivery the most—budget, fixtures, approvals, staffing, or stable specs? Options: Budget, Fixture availability/design, Executive approvals, Engineering/test staff, Stable product specs, Other
• How fixed are the product specs today (mechanical envelopes, test points, firmware), and how often do you expect them to change during development and pilot? Options: Stable — no expected changes, Minor tweaks likely, Regular updates expected, Specs still being defined, Unsure
• What procurement or contract terms typically slow down hardware or fixture delivery here?
• Describe the approval path and typical lead time for a capital purchase or pilot spend in your organization. Options: Direct manager approval, Committee approval, Finance & purchasing, Executive sponsor required, Other
• What hidden costs should we know about (spare parts, calibration, training, overtime) when modeling total cost of ownership?

Pilot Reality Check — Can 500 Units Prove It?

• If the 500-unit pilot shows a gap in detection, what outcome would you accept as a path forward (tweak, extend pilot, cancel)? Options: Technical tweaks and re-run, Extend pilot scope, Adjust acceptance thresholds, Decline to proceed to production, Unsure
• What sampling strategy would you prefer for the pilot—sequential production units, statistically stratified, or targeted known-edge cases? Options: Sequential production run, Stratified sampling by lot/shift, Targeted edge-case units, Combination
• Who will be the acceptance authority for pilot results and what evidence do they require (raw logs, failed units, re-test data)? Options: Test Engineering, Quality, Production, Cross-functional committee, Other
• What duration and environment do you expect for the pilot (lab bench, pre-production line, full production line)? Options: Lab bench, Pre-production line, Dedicated pilot line, Full production shift, Other
• Which corrective actions are allowed during a live pilot without invalidating results (parameter tuning, fixture tweak, software patch)? Options: Parameter tuning, Fixture adjustment, Software patch, Operator retraining, No changes allowed

Fixture and Switching — The Physical Truth

• How confident are you that a single fixture design can cover all product variants without a line stop or major rework? Options: Very confident, Somewhat confident, Uncertain, Not confident
• List the product variants and what differs between them (connectors, test points, mechanical features).
• What maximum fixture changeover time is operationally acceptable between variants? Options: < 1 minute, 1–5 minutes, 5–15 minutes, > 15 minutes, Not acceptable to changeover
• Have you experienced fixture-induced false fails due to mechanical tolerances or operator handling? Give an example.
• Which switching topologies or I/O densities are required (e.g., high-channel multiplexing, high-voltage switching, RF switching)? Options: High-pin multiplex, High-voltage, RF/Coax, Low-noise precision, Mixed-signal, Unsure

Software, Test Programs, and Who Owns Them Next Year

• Who will own test program maintenance once the system is handed to production—test engineering, the supplier, or an external integrator? Options: Test Engineering (in-house), Supplier-managed, Third-party integrator, Hybrid model
• Describe your current configuration/version-control practices for test code and whether rollback capability exists.
• How important is having vendor software support, patches, and release cadence versus full source-code ownership? Options: Vendor support critical, Prefer source-code ownership, Hybrid: vendor support + source access, Unsure
• What training or ramp-up is realistic for operators and maintenance staff before production go-live? Options: One shift of training, One week, Hands-on shadowing during pilot, Formal certification program, Other
• What monitoring or remote-diagnostics capabilities matter most (live logs, automated alerts, KPI dashboards)? Options: Live logs, Automated alerts, KPI dashboards, Remote access for vendor, No remote access

People, Process, and 'Who Picks Up the Phone at 3 AM?'

• When a critical test station fails during production, who is expected to respond immediately and who signs off on triage steps? Options: Production Supervisor, Test Engineer on-call, Maintenance, Quality Manager, Vendor support
• How are escalation paths and repair SLAs currently documented and enforced? Options: Formal SLA documented, Informal process, Ad-hoc backyard procedures, No defined process
• What shift coverage do you need for support (business hours, extended, 24/7)? Options: Business hours, Extended (12 hours), 24/7, On-call nights/weekends
• How do operators currently log and escalate flaky tests or intermittent failures? Options: Paper logs, Digital tickets, Spreadsheet tracking, No formal logging, Other
• What evidence or handover materials would make production confident to own the station after commissioning? Options: SOPs & runbooks, Training completion certificates, Raw test logs & root-cause reports, Spare-parts kit & BOM, All of the above

What Would Make You Pull the Trigger in the Next 30 Days?

• What single decision or document would enable you to approve a pilot immediately (PO, pilot approval, executive sponsor sign-off)? Options: Purchase Order (PO), Pilot approval form, Executive sponsor email, Budget allocation, Other
• What are the non-negotiable items you need in the commercial terms (warranty, lead time, acceptance criteria)? Options: Warranty, Delivery lead time, Explicit acceptance criteria, Escrow/source access, Support SLAs, Other
• Who else must be involved in the final decision that we haven’t already listed?
• Realistically, what is the earliest and latest date you could commit to starting the pilot? Options: Within 2 weeks, 2–4 weeks, 1–2 months, 2–3 months, Later than 3 months
• What outstanding questions or risks would you need us to address before you feel comfortable moving forward?